March Resolutions | 2016

Welcome, March! It's the beginning of a new month, and that means that it's time to set some goals! 
Oh, and my Anne of Avonlea review will be posted soon..I have not had very much time to really work on it, so that is why it isn't up yet. Enjoy! 

1. Read Anne of the Island 
I am always really excited to start a new Anne book, and this month, I will be reading Anne of the Island! As I mentioned in my last post, I finished Anne of Avonlea way to early, and it was really hard for me not to dive into this one prematurely! Needless to say, I am super excited about this! *squeals*

2. Blog more often
I didn't blog as often as I wanted to last month, and I really missed doing it! There is a lot going on right now, but I will do my best to post more often this month. 

3. Write short stories
I just realized that I have never in my life written a short story! I have a few ideas, and I want to kind of play around with that type of thing. While I love working on a big project such as a novel, I want to explore other things in the world of writing. That is something that I am really looking forward to this month!

4. Clean out my stuff
This is something that I have been needing to do for a while, but I haven't taken the time to do yet. I have SO many random things that I have collected over the years, and I have been too sentimental to get rid of it. However, I reeeally need to go through everything and clean it out.  *cue heartbreak and tears*

Recurring Resolutions:

Write every day

Play music (of some sort) every day

Read every day 

  ~What are your resolutions/goals for this month?~

 Those are my goals for March! If you have a list of your own for this month, I'd love to hear what they are! You can do your own post and link it down below, or you could just list them in the comments.

 

Have a lovely day!

~Megan ♥ 

February Resolutions | 2016

Hello, everyone! Sorry I'm so late posting my resolutions for this month...I'm working on coming up with a blogging schedule so I can keep track of and plan everything that I am posting.
I love setting goals, and lately I have been doing a lot of that in several areas of my life. This month I really want to work on forming habits out of the goals I am setting, and I'm really excited to see how much progress I make!

1. Read Anne of Avonlea
I'm sooo excited about this! Last month I read Anne of Green Gables as part of the 2016 Reading Challenge, and I just started Anne of Avonlea! 
I was really worried about how I was going to get the books, since I only had the first one, but a few days ago, we found the entire series at a thrift shop! (minus The Blythes are Quoted, which is proving hard to find) Anyways, that was something super exciting that I had to share. :)

 2. Try new recipes
I had a food blog with my friend a while back, but both of our lives got busy and we ended up not being able to find the time to blog anymore. I realized that having that blog pushed me to experiment with new recipes and really expand my abilities. Ever since we stopped, I haven't really been doing a lot in the kitchen, but I want to change that this month and start working more on baking and such.

3. Catch up on school
I fell behind a little over Christmas break, and I really want to catch back up and stay on track this month. Being a Junior in high school, I am sooo ready to be graduated, but I'm trying to keep myself motivated and consistent.

Recurring Resolutions:

 Write every day

Play music (of some sort) every day

Read every day 

 

~What are your resolutions/goals for this month?~

Those are my resolutions for February! If you have resolutions for this month, I'd love to hear what they are! You can do your own post and link it down below, or you could just list them in the comments. 
Thank you so much for stopping by! I am going to be back again soon with some random posts, so stay tuned! 

Have a lovely day! 

      ~Megan ♥

January Resolutions {2016}

Hello, everybody! Today I am finally getting around to posting my January Resolutions! I know, it's a little late, but I didn't want to flood the blog with too many posts in a week, so I waited a few more days. :) 
I am hoping to be able to do my resolutions and a report card each month this year, so stay tuned! 

1.) Write every day
This has been a goal of mine in the past, but I really want to push it this year. I joined a writing class, and I really want to develop my writing style this year. I read that writing every day really helps with that, so I am going to work towards that habit! 

 2.) Read Anne of Green Gables
As you probably know, I started the 2016 Anne of Green Gables Reading Challenge! This month's book is the first in the series, Anne of Green Gables, so I am currently in the middle of it! I am actually realizing how much I missed before! I think I skimmed the long dialogue, and I missed so many awesome quotes! I'm really looking forward to reading the rest! 

3.) Focus more on music
As some of you may know, I play piano and violin, and I have also taken an interest lately to singing. I am taking piano lessons, but I am learning violin on my own, and I am really hoping to push myself this month to really get comfortable with my violin and learn to play it better. I managed to carve out an hour a day in my schedule just to focus on my music, and I really want to see some progress by the end of the month!

4.) Read more
This is along the same lines as the second one, but I really do want to read more in general this month. These days, so much time is spent on electronics and such that we don't really take the time anymore to just sit down with a good book and read. I'm resolving to take at least an hour or two a day to unplug and read a book. I personally love anything literature, reading, or bookish, so I'm really looking forward to it. :)

So those are my resolutions for January! If you have resolutions for this month, I'd love to hear what they are! You can do your own resolutions post and link it down below, or you could just list them in the comments. 

                                                                                         Have a lovely day! :)

                                                    ~Megan ♥

Reflections and Resolutions

Hello, lovely friends! I hope you had a wonderful Christmas. I was blessed to be able to spend the whole day with my family, making memories and just enjoying each others' company.

  

It's hard to believe how fast this year went by. I feel like everybody says this, but for me, it really has been a whirlwind.I don't even know what to say about this past year. I went through so many times of joy, so many times of doubt, and I don't even really know what to think about it all.

One thing I do know, however, is that God has held me through every moment. No matter how many times I planted my feet and dug my fingernails into the ground of my selfish pride, He has never ceased to be with me, to love me, and to guide me. I have so much to learn, but I am beyond grateful for his unfailing love and all the times he has gently whispered to my heart to "be still." I struggle a lot with complete and total trust and faith in him. I allow myself too often to believe the lies of the devil, which inevitably cause me to doubt God. I have to continually remind myself that he is with me and he hasn't forsaken me. A big thing that I have learned (and that I am still learning!) is that no matter what happens, I absolutely cannot go by what I feel. I am learning what faith really means--simply taking God for what he says, and believing that all of his promises are true. Always. This is something that I really want to live by next year. No matter what I feel, God's words are true, I belong to Him, and nothing can ever change that.

Last year, I committed to counting 1,000 gifts. (you can read my post about it here) I will be completely honest and say that I did not meet this goal. I was really into it for several months, but I became lazy about it and failed to make it a priority.  I know that I had so much more joy when I was taking the time to write down the little things that blessed me, and thanking God for each and every one of them. I was also able to go back and read over them later on, and it filled me with gratitude all over again! I lost that flow of constant joy when I stopped looking for the gifts and started becoming distracted by my fears and my failure. I miss it. I miss the joy and the thankfulness that I had towards God, and the way that it flowed from me to others. I deeply regret not following through with this, and I fully realize the effect that my frustration, impatience, and ungratefulness has had on my life and relationships. Not only with God, but also with other people. Don't get me wrong..I'm not saying at all that if you don't count gifts you will not have joy or thankfulness. I am saying when I was doing it, it opened my eyes and gave me a new perspective on life. The great thing about a new year is starting over. I am planning on doing this again, and this time I really want to follow through with my commitment.

Something that I have always been big into is setting goals. I love to see a list of things to work towards in front of me, and I find it to be very satisfying to be able to check those things off. Whether it is long-term or short-term, I will almost always have a list of things that I want to accomplish. I considered not coming up with a list of resolutions for next year, just because I didn't want to end up setting really unrealistic goals. I tend to become really disappointed with myself if I don't fulfill everything on my list, and I wasn't sure if I wanted to fall into that again. However, I changed my mind and set a few anyways. I decided this year that if I would set a few bigger, more long-term goals, but also set smaller ones for each month, I could progressively work towards accomplishing the big picture. We'll see how it works out. :)

This post seems to be all over the place and rather sober, but I really wanted to just sit down and type what was on my mind. Honestly, I'm looking forward to a new year. I have learned a lot in 2015, and my hope is that I will be able to grow and learn a lot more in this next year.
To my family and all of my amazing friends that I have been blessed with this year: I love you all so much, and you have each left fingerprints on my heart that will be there forever. Thank you for all that you have done, and the many ways you have impacted my life. I can't wait to spend many more years with you!

                             ~Megan ♥

Read my last post here: Anne of Green Gables Reading Challenge 

September Resolutions {2015}

Now that I'm finally back into blogging, I am going to start posting my monthly resolutions again! School is starting this month, so I will be pretty busy, but I'm really hoping to find time to blog regularly. Enjoy! :)


1. Get into my new daily schedule: During the summer, we usually don't have much of a schedule, but with the new school year starting, I definitely need to get myself back into the daily routine of getting up early and accomplishing everything I need to do that day.

2. Practice music every day: With the weddings happening this summer, I didn't get to work a lot on my music, so I'm hoping to be able to start that back up again. Since now I play violin and piano, I'm always going to have something that I can practice on!

3. Finish planning my novel: I've really been procrastinating with this one. I ran into some creative block, and I got a little lazy over the summer with my writing. I want to finish up the outlining and planning for my novel this month and develop the habit of writing every day. It is so refreshing and relaxing for me, but I just need to carve out the time to work on it!

4. Keep running: Over the summer, I started running a little bit to see how I liked it, and it was then that I realized how awesome it is! I finally was able to run a mile straight this week, and although I was incredibly sore for a few days, it was a lot of fun. I want to keep myself up on regularly running a little every day this month, because I find that when I run I get much more energized and ready to take on the day.

Recurring Resolutions:

-Write every day

-Blog at least once a week

-Read at least one book

So, what are your resolutions for this month? Let me know in the comments below, or, better yet, do a post of your own and comment with the link!

 

~Megan ♥ 

**Read my last post here: Confessions of a Homeschooler {Part One}

June Resolutions {2015}

Yeah, I'm late with this one...again. No excuses, just apologies. So sorry!

I am actually really looking forward to the next few weeks, simply because I have a bunch of post ideas and inspirations ready to burst from my pen to a page, and I can't wait to catch up with everything! I also have a few more exciting things happening, so I may do a post full of ramblings on about my life and things going on. Because life really is beautiful. And awesome. And crazy. And I'm just now realizing that. I have so much to learn. 

Ok, my random has been satisfied...Now let's get into what this post is actually supposed to be about: my June Resolutions! 

1. Expand my culinary skills: Now that it's summer, I am able to do a lot more cooking and baking. This month, I'm hoping to put together some of my own recipes and ideas into something delicious. Perhaps I will put some of my recipes on Nutmeg and Koko, so keep an eye open!

2. Get outside every day: I'll admit it, I'm pretty afraid of ticks. Ok, so maybe I'm a little too worried, but in this area they are everywhere. I would like to get outside a little more this summer, anyway. I will either walk the dog, work with the flower beds, or some other outdoor activity, but I don't want to miss the nice, hot weather and beauty everywhere. 

3. Take a break from social media: Lately, I have realized the need for me to just take a break. I have been getting wrapped up in work, school, and media, and I am not taking time for the things that I used to do and enjoy the most. I'm going to designate an entire week (probably starting next week) just to write, catch up on reading, and spend some time finding things that I really enjoy doing. I will probably do a blog post or two still, but I'm going to stay away from Facebook, email, and my other social media accounts.

4. Start learning a new musical instrument: This is one of the things that I'm really excited about. I am going to buy a violin really soon! I have wanted to learn the fiddle for as long as I can remember, and I am just now going to start learning. I need to learn the basics with the violin first, and I'm hoping to invest in a fiddle in the future. (Once I learn the technique) I'm going to be learning off of instructional DVDs and online courses, so I'm hoping everything works out well! I really want to expand my musical abilities, and this is a super exciting opportunity! Yeah, I'm ridiculously excited. (if that wasn't already made obvious. :p)

Recurring Resolutions:

-Practice piano every day

-Write every day

-Blog at least once a week

-Read at least one book

So, what are your resolutions for this month? Let me know in the comments below, or, better yet, do a post of your own and comment with the link!

                                                       Until next time,

~Megan ♥ 

Report Card: May 2015 Resolutions

 1. Practice piano every day | A   
I am really happy that I was able to do this! I am working on some really fun songs, and I'm having a great time while doing it. This is definitely becoming a recurring resolution for me! 

2. Perfect wedding cake recipe | A
I FINALLY found the perfect recipe, and I feel so relieved! I now need to convert the recipe to a different pan/shape, but that won't be as hard. 

3. Finish School | B
I have everything done that I need to at this point except Geometry. I only have two lessons left, and it won't take me long. My brain is shot right now, so I'm very much looking forward to finishing it all up!

4. Sort out my closet | A

Ok, this may or may not have happened at 12:30 at night, but hey, at least I got it done! :P It's nice to have everything sorted and neat again. Not only that, I finished with a giant trash bag STUFFED with clothes to give away! 

 

5. Photo-a-Day challenge | A
I did do this, and I will be posting all the pictures shortly! :)

Recurring Resolutions:

_____________________________________________________

       
-Blog at least 2 times per week | F
Nope, didn't happen...I feel like once a week is more do-able for me, so I will most likely change the number for June.

-Write every day | A
I actually did do this one! Whether it was in the form of blogging, journaling, letter writing, or working on my novel, I got in some writing every single day. It is really relaxing for me, and I enjoy having a creative outlet that I can go to at any time. 

-Finish reading one book | A
Actually, I finished four books. After I had finished one, I got hooked on reading all over again and couldn't stop. I'm keeping one as my goal either way, because I never know how busy life may get in the next few months.

________________________________________________________________________________  
How did you do on your resolutions? Let me know in the comments below! I'll be back soon with my June Resolutions!

                                       ~Megan ♥ 

May Resolutions {2015}

Hello, friends! Today I'm finally starting to get back into my blogging routine! I am here with my May Resolutions. I have high hopes and much determination going into this month, and I'm hoping that I will be able to finish these resolutions with flying colors! I'll post my report card at the end of the month. Enjoy!

 1. Practice piano every day: This one I'm really really hoping I can start doing. Since I stopped taking lessons, I've had some problems finding what to play and what to challenge myself with. I'm hoping to cultivate my skills and keep up on this. 

2. Perfect wedding cake recipe: I may have said this before, but I am making/decorating the cake for my sister's wedding! I'm really excited about this opportunity so early on, but I'm also a little nervous about perfecting the white cake recipe that I have. I have revised the recipe a few times and there are still a few more things to figure out. I'm really hoping to have it down by the end of the month! 

3. Finish School: I am actually going to work on two of my subjects a little bit in the summer, but for the most part I'm hoping to be DONE with the rest by the end of May. I'm really excited about summer break!

4. Sort out my closet: People, I have SO. MANY. CLOTHES. I don't even wear most of them either! I'm hoping to go through my closet and figure out what I do/don't want and get everything re-organized and sorted out. It will be a big task but hopefully worth it! 

5. Photo-a-Day challenge: I did this last year too, and I loved it so much that I'm doing it again. I won't be posting a picture every day like I did last year, but I will be either posting one post at the end of the week, or one at the end of the month. I haven't completely decided yet. 

Recurring Resolutions:

_____________________________________________________

-Blog at least 2 times per week: This one may take some practice and motivation, but I really miss blogging when I don't do it consistently. I really want to be faithful with this one.

- Write every day: I think this one was a resolution a few months ago, but I'm going to make it a constant resolution. Writing every day, whether it's in my journal or if it's my book, makes me feel so refreshed and it clears my brain. I really want to make this an every day thing.

-Finish reading one book: I am in the middle of a book right now, and I really need to finish that one and move on to the next one in the series. I have already read this series before, but I love it so much that I'm reading it again. I love reading, I just need to be finding more time to do it.

 ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Soo...what are your resolutions for this month? If you have your own blog you should do a post and comment with the link! I'll post my report card at the end of the month! 

                                                    Much love,
                                                                   ~Megan ♥ 

March Resolutions {2015}

Last month, I posted my February Resolutions for the sake of accountability and to keep me motivated. I was really happy with how it worked out, so I'm going to be doing it monthly. I will also post a report card with my "scores" at the end of each month. 
Today (and a little late) I'm posting my March Resolutions for y'all!   

1. Blog at least 2 times every week: Since I was able to easily do a post at least once a week last month, I am going to bump it up to two. Hopefully I can stay on track with it!

2. Finish catching up on school: I got really behind over Christmas with some of my schoolwork, so I'm hoping to be able to catch up this month! I am just about there, but I still have a little ways to go before I am completely caught up.

3. Iron out my part for the play: I have a play at the end of March, and I still have some things that I want to smooth out with my character before the production. This is a resolution that is really important not to fail with!

4. Write every day: I'm in the middle of planning for a book that I'm writing, and I really want to make a habit of writing some each day. I feel very refreshed after writing, and it is something that I really enjoy. (P.S. Fellow writers! I found this really great site that I found is really helpful for my writing: creative-writing-now.com)

5. Get-together with friends: I feel like my friends and I have been too busy to get together very much lately. Hopefully this month I will be able to schedule in a much needed hangout with a few friends. 

 ______________________________________________________________________________________________________
Soo...what are your resolutions for this month? If you have your own blog you should do a post and comment with the link! I'll post my report card at the end of the month! 

                                                    Much love,
                                                                   ~Megan ♥                           

Report Card: February 2015 Resolutions

I recently started something new to keep myself accountable for the goals that I'm making every month. Last month, I posted my February Resolutions, complete with a promise to do a sort of "report card" with how I did in fulfilling them. 
(Read my February Resolutions here!)
Today I'm going to post that report card. I'm not completely pleased with how I did with everything, but I did do the main things that needed to be accomplished. 
So...here it is! I'll post my March Resolutions in a day or so.

1. Finish reading 3 books|C
 I did terrible on this one this month! I was only able to read about two books. I did end up getting back to writing, which is one reason why I didn't do as much reading. I am not counting it a complete failure, though, because I was able to finish some. I'm hoping to find a good balance between my writing and reading though. 
(Here are some of my favorites!)

2. Blog at least once a week|A
I did blog once a week! I'm also hoping to be able to do more next month. I feel like I'm doing better with being consistent than I used to, so I'm setting a goal of twice a week for March! 

3. Keep up on piano playing|A
I have been playing piano more, and it is really refreshing! I'm working on a very difficult song right now, so hopefully I can keep that going.

4. Get on a new schedule|A
I did get onto my new schedule finally! I'm still experimenting, but so far so good! I'm catching up and getting things done, which is what I mainly wanted to accomplish.

5. Consistent Journaling|B
I have done better with this than before, but it's not quite what I wanted it to be. I have only been doing it about 3 times a week or so, and I really want to make it a habit of doing it every night.

Overall Score: B
I really hope these monthly resolutions/report card will help with accountability reasons, and so far it seems to be working! It makes it easier to have a sort of group of friends to hold me accountable. :) 
____________________________________________________________________________

How did you do on your resolutions? Let me know in the comments below! I'll be back soon with my March Resolutions!

 Much love,

                  ~Megan ♥    

February Resolutions {2015}

Happy February! For some reason, this has always been my favorite winter month. The snow always seems to sparkle more, the sun shines brighter, and I feel a strange warmth inside. Oh, and there's Valentine's Day too. (Which I do celebrate, even though I'm single. :)

This year I'm trying out something new. (Many thanks to Kelli Taylor for the inspiration!) Basically, I'm setting resolutions for myself each month, and at the end of the month, I'm going to post a sort of  "report card" on how I did in fulfilling them. I may do a few mentions in between, but that's the main idea. I want to work on getting through my goals, so I'm taking you along for the ride!

1. Finish reading at least 3 books
I finally just started reading more again! I have a goodly sized stockpile of books that I want to read, and I'm hoping to get through a few of them this month. Generally I would set my number higher, but many of them are the unabridged classics, and those can be harder to get through. I'm really looking forward to the challenge, though!

2. Blog at least once a week
This one is something I have really been trying to do more of lately. Blogging is a creative outlet for me, and I want to make sure I'm finding the time for that.

3. Keep up on piano playing
I feel like now that I'm not in lessons anymore, it's a lot harder to be consistent with practicing and playing. I'm trying to fit it into my daily schedule, and I'm also challenging myself with some pretty tough music.

4. Get on a new schedule
Those of you who know me really well know that I love making schedules. My schoolwork just began getting far more difficult (not to mention now that I'm in high school I have more to do), and I wasn't able to get done everything that I really needed to. I recently compiled a new schedule, which I am starting this week, so hopefully it will help out with prioritizing my life.

5. Consistent Journaling
I do a lot of writing, so I generally do a lot of journaling. (Talking to my mom about things has also been a huge blessing!) I have done pretty good with faithfully journaling at the end of the day, but there have been many nights where I have been far too tired to sit down and write. I'm hoping to get back into general writing, really, but I'm finding it hard to fit that into my life right now.

     _______________________________________________________________________________________________________
Soo...what are your resolutions for this month? If you have your own blog you should do a post and comment with the link! You could also just comment and tell me, but making a post is so much more fun...

Counting Gifts and the New Year

Hello friends! I'm sorry it took so long to get this post done. I am finally getting the time to sit down and work on some things, and this was one of the first things on my list. If you've been following my blog for the last few weeks/months, you have probably seen the post I did a few weeks back on giving thanks: 

http://megans-journals.blogspot.com/2014/11/giving-thanks-always.html 

 I started counting gifts on January 1st. I know a few of you wanted to do it with me, which is why I was going to post this sooner, but I didn't do it as soon as I should have. 

So for all of you who mentioned wanting to do this with me, and for those of you who want to join, let me know!

Basically we will keep in contact , acting as sort of accountability partners for each other. We will be periodically emailing each other, and sending verses/notes of encouragement to each other to keep it up. Our goal is at least 1,000, so start now, and don't give up!

You can start first by purchasing an empty lined journal, or you can use on that you already have. Whenever you see something that makes you smile, or anything that you notice, you can take the time to write it down, and say a quick prayer to thank God for it. It could be something big like family and friends, or it could be something small like the specks of dust on the windowsill. Whatever it is, you can find something beautiful in it and give thanks for it.

Personally, counting gifts has already brightened my day, lifted my spirits when I am feeling
down, and just given me a new perspective of joy and thankfulness with life. And don't give up halfway through. This has the potential to really change your life for the better.

Again, sorry for the lateness of this post. I hope you will join me and we can count gifts together!

Ann Voskamp's Blog: http://www.aholyexperience.com/

...giving thanks always...

With Thanksgiving fast approaching, I have noticed many Facebook posts reading "30 Days of Thankfulness Challenge," along with a daily post of something to be thankful for. While all of this is well and good, it really gets me thinking. Why only 30 days of Thankfulness? Why not 365 days of endless praise to the God who so lovingly crafted us in His image, giving us far more than we could ever ask for?
What would it look like if we all came together with one goal: to list 1,000 things that we are grateful for. Not just for 30 days, but all year round. Not just 1,000, but many, many more. God has so richly blessed us with this life, and we take it far too much for granted.
It is so easy for us to fall into discontentment and resentment when it seems like everyone else "has it all together," and we don't. A simple fifteen minutes of browsing Pinterest is all that it takes for most people. I have had this happen many times as well. When I see my friend with all the cute outfits, when I see someone who is so much more attractive, and when I see the picture-perfect models on magazine covers that are 50% plastic and 100% good lighting, I find myself slipping into discontentment with the life God has given me.
I recently read a book called "A Thousand Gifts" by Ann Voskamp. This book really got my attention. It's all about joy. It's about being thankful for the little things in life. The author's style of writing is extremely gripping, and she tells a story. A story of how she found true joy, not just a little heart flutter and a laugh or two, but true, lasting joy in Christ. I have never been more moved or inspired reading a book, and I encourage you all to read it for yourself.

I am issuing a challenge: Why don't we all count at least 1,000 gifts of our own? I am starting it at the beginning of the new year, and I'm inviting you to join me. Join me in counting gifts every day for a whole year, and never ceasing to give thanks to God for even one day. What do you say, friends? Shall we do it together?

"With each gift I had accepted and given thanks for, I let go of my own will and accepted His. But my purgation, this releasing of sin and self, wasn't an act of Christ and His grace all-sufficient." ~Ann Voskamp